Emulsifier.



M. LEITCH &"B. R. WRIGHT.

EMULSIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED mu I9. 1914.

Uatented July 6, 1915 nc m uc 3mm; lzrrs i am MM UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

MEREDITH LEITOH AND BERT R. WRIGHT. 0F POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORSTO THE DE LAVAL SBPARATOB COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFNEW J EBSEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Ml-znnurrn Lnrrcn and Burr R. Winona, both citizensof the United StfltflS,uD(l residing at loughkoepsie, county ofDutchess, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmrorements in llmulsifiers; and we do herey declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention relates to improvements in the formation of a moreor less permanent mixture, commonly called an emulsion, of twomaterials, one of which is of a fatty nature and the other of a waterynature.

Moreparticularly, it relates to the formation of such an emulsion bydischarging a rough mixture of the two materials, by centrifugal force,between revolving plates ar ranged in close proximity to each other andof relatively small diameter, thereby requiring a minimum amount ofdriving power to operate them eflrotivcly, although of large capacityappropriate to a wide variety of commercial uses.

In the accompan ing drawiugs,---Figure 1 represents, part1; in elevationand part y in section an emulsifier constructed in cordance with ourinvention, the portion shown in section being taken upon a planeindicated by the line l--1 of Fig. 3; big. 2 is a similar view, the partshown in section being along a plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 3;Fig. 3 represents a section,

- viewed from below, taken on a ll llllu ndicated by the line 33 ofFig. 1. and, consequentlv, shows the underside of one of the elementsmaking up the emulsifier Similar letters of reference indicate simi larparts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates a shaft which may be supported andrevolved in any approved'manner. This shaft carries a bottom plate I)having an annular de pression or distributing chamber r. The upperportion of the shaft is borrd out to form a central receiving chamber (1for the materials to be emulsified; and, leading Specification ofLetters Patent.

EM ULSIFIER.

Paton ted July 6, 1915.

Applicatlon filed larch 18, IBIL Serial Ho. 825,778.

ing rlnunbrr (5 are a plurality of plates f,

each having upon its upper face an annular groove 0 corresponding to theannular groove r: of the bottom plate I), and having in its lower sidea, number of slots or grooves r; which to: m eontirmations of thetangential passages win the wall of the central chamber.

The slots or grooves g, in the lower face of curb of the plates f serveas feeding passages res wetively tn the annular depressinns: oristributing chambers r: in the upper hlCr of the several proximateelements. A lrrv engag ng in corrcspomhng key- \vr v-. Hi the shaft andin the several eleirents lo be assembled causes the slots 9 to regal-toraccurately with the tangential passages in the wall of the centralchamher.

The up plate 2' rests upon the uppermost phi r fol the srrlrs ofemulsifying elements and has in its under-face slots correspomlin v tothose in the under-faces of the Severn plates f. A nut j engaging athread on the wiper end of the shaft, when screwed down against theplate i, holds the assembled cleriients together. I

In each of the plates f. and in the top plate i are a number of verticalgrooves la, snared at suitable distances apart about the outer peripheryof the wall of the central hznnher. 'lheso vertical grooves lacommunicate with an annular grrove around the shaft at l. and serve asair vents from the several srrllons to the said annular groove andthem-n from the annular groove 1 through corresponding \"crtical groovesm in the nut ln cross section, the slots or grooves 1 preferably deepenfrom without inwardly; and the annular depressions or distributingrlunuhers w lh-nprn from within outwardly. This arrangement is found tofacilitate rogularitv and uniformity of feed and dis charge of the.materials to be emulsified.

The operation of the device is as follows: The material to beemulsified, which is preferahly first roughly mixed, is fed into thecentral chamber (1 in any approved manner. It is immediately thrown outagainst the wall of the chamber and discharged through the passages e.The tangential arrangement of these passages facilitates the entrance ofthe liquid and its feed into the slots or grooves {1. These slots orgrooves y feed the material into the. annular surface depressions ordistributing chambers c, where. because of the high speed of rotation ofthe device a centrifugal force is set up. The outer wall 11 of theannular surface groove (1 in each element is slightly lower than thecentral portion of the element, thereby leaving a very narrow orificebetween the top of the wall a and the bottom of the element above.thisintervening space. in many instances, heing as small as one-thousamlthof an inch in hei ht. The pressure caused by the centrifugal force,acting upon the material in the depressions or distributing chambers c,forces the material through the very narrow discharge oriiiecs. andmixes the particles so thoroughly as to Form the desired emulsion.During the operation. any air that is entrained with the material andwhich wouhl otherwise tend to interfere with the proper feed thereof iscarried otl b" the venting grooves.

The large capacity of the emulsilier is due in part to the presence ofthe air vents referred to, the tangential feed of the material from thecentral receiving ClllllhllN, the con formation of the slots or groovesforming a continuation of the tangential slots c, the out 'ard slope ofthe annular surface deprcssions or distril uting chamhcrs c. and theemployment of a series or plurality of the emulsifier elementssuperposed one upon the other; and, at the same time. while having thedesired high capacity for elllcient commercial uses. the emulsifieroperates, with safety. at high speeds. and with a minimum expenditure ofpower, lit-cause ot its relatively small diameter.

\Vhat we claim is:

l. .\n cnmlsitier, provided with a central receiving chamher and ha ringdischarge passages leading: from said chainhcr and tangent to the innerwall thereof. and one or more outlying emulsifying elements suppliedfrom said tangential passages.

"2. .\n emulsifier. provided with a. central receiving,chamber andhaving discharge passages leading: from said chamher and tangent to theinner wall thereof, and one or more outl \in; emulsifying elementssupplied from said tangential passages through the intcrnualiacy ofgrooves forming con tinuations of said pas ages.

Cl. An emulsifier. provided with a central receiving chamber and havingdischarge passages leading from said chamber and tangent to the innerwall thereof, and one or more outlying emulsifying elements suppliedfrom said tangential passages through the intermediaey of groovesforming contiuuat-ions of said passages, said grooves de creasing inheight from within out ardly.

4. An emulsifier provided with a central receiving chamber and havingdischarge passages leading from said chamhcr and communicating withoutlying emulsifying elements made up of superposed plates the lowerplate havin an annular face groove. increasing in dcpti from withinoutwardly, and iamnnunirating with the dis-churn pas sages of thecentral (lltllllltfll hy g- .ioves in the upper plate decreasing inheight from within outwardly.

."i. .\n cluulsilicr. provided with a central receiving chamber andhaving discharge passagcs lending therefrom, one or more, outlyingemulsifying eleuu-nts supplied from said passages. and a rent from saidpassages for the escape of air entrained with the material fed.

n. .\u emulsifier, provided with a rotatory central receiving chamhcr.and a plurality of emulsifying elements muunuuicating with said cllamheand superposed one upon the other.

T. in emulsifier. pro. dcd with a ccntral receiving 'hauiheix nul aplurality of emulsifying elements rounuuuicating with said chamber liytangential passages and superposed one upon the other. and air ventsleading upwardly from the exterior of the central rhanihcr.

H. .\u cmulsilirr. provided with a central receiving chamhcr havingpassages leading tlnu'cli'olil. and a plur: lity ol' cuudsilh'ingt'lltllllt. couuuuuicutiig hy said passages with said chuluhcr andsuperposed our upon th othcl'. one mem er of each of said elcnu'nlsliving provided with an annular surtacc depressi n and an outlyingdischarg lip and the other uu-iuher of each of said rlcuu'nts liningprovided with iced fll'nuvcs forming contiuuatious of the passages fromthe central chanihcr.

i .\u clulllsilicr with a rotatory central receiving chainher. havingpas ages leading therefrom, and an outlying series ol cuullsilyingclcun-nts filllltl'llllhtll one upon the other. means for loruliug theelements in iii-determined arrangement. and a securing not for lockingthem rcmovidlly in place.

it). .\u cunllsiiicr. provided with a central receivingrhauilu'r ha vin;tangent discharge passages and u duralitv ol' ruiulsil'ying clc uicniscommunicating with said rhamlvcr and superposed one upon the otln-r, oneiucmhcr of each of said clemcuts hciir; pIo vidcd with an annularsurface depression and an uullyin; dischargc lip. and tho other incmhcrof each of said elements ln-ing pro llC vided with ferd grooves formingcontinuations of the tangent discharge passages from the centralchamber.

11. An emulsifier, provided with a central receiving chamber havingtangent discharge passages and a plurality of emulsifying elementscommunicating with said chamber and superposed one upon the other, one

member of each of said elements being provided with an annular surfacedepression and an outlying discharge lip, the other member of each ofsaid elements being pro vided with feed grooves forming continuations ofthe tangent discharge passages from the central chamber and air ventsleading u wardly from the exterior of the central member.

12. An emulsifier, provided with a central receiving chamber and aplurality of emulsifying elements communicating with said chamber andsuper osed one upon the other, and air vents lea in upwardly from theexterior of the centre chamber.

13. An emulsifier, provided with a rotatory central receiving chamberand a plurality of emulsifying elements, each of said elements having adistributing chamber and constitutin continuations of discharge pas- 1sages whic lead from the receiving cham- 15. An emulsifier, having a.rotatory central receiving c'hambeiyand' a plurality of emulsifyingelements each having an annular discharge orifice and a distributingchamber, an feed passages leading from the receiving chamber to thedistributing chamber, sair feed passages being provided with air vents.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in presence of twowitnesses.

MEREDITH LEITCH. BERT R. WRIGHT. Witnesses:

SELDEN H. HALL, CHARLES L. POWELL.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,145,600, grantedJuly 6, 1915,

upon the application of Meredith Leiteh and Bert R. Wright, ofPoughkeepsio, New York, for an improvement in Emulsifiers, an errorappears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows:Page 1, lines 60 end'fil, strike out the word groove and insert theWords deprus'ions or distributing chambers; and that the said LettersPatent-should be read with this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of August, A. D., 1915.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL]

